had only just been concluded and all the world was hurrying after
pleasure, in a giddy whirl of dissipation, and his head had been turned
by the black eyes of a bold beauty. He had very little money, but he was
lucky at cards, made many acquaintances, took part in all
entertainments, in a word, he was in the swim.



Chapter IX


For a long time the old Lavretsky could not forgive his son for his
marriage. If six months later Ivan Petrovitch had come to him with a
penitent face and had thrown himself at his feet, he would, very likely,
have pardoned him, after giving him a pretty severe scolding, and a tap
with his stick by way of intimidating him, but Ivan Petrovitch went on
living abroad and apparently did not care a straw. "Be silent! I dare
you to speak of it," Piotr Andreitch said to his wife every time she
ventured to try to incline him to mercy. "The puppy, he ought to thank
God for ever that I have not laid my curse upon him; my father would
have killed him, the worthless scamp, with his own hands, and he would
have done right too." At such terrible speeches Anna Pavlovna could only
cross herself secretly. As for Ivan Petrovitch's wife, Piotr Andreitch
at first would not even hear her name, and in answer to a letter of
Pestov's, in which he mentioned his daughter-in-law, he went so far as
to send him word that he knew nothing of any daughter-in-law, and that
it was forbidden by law to harbour run-away wenches, a fact which he
thought it his duty to remind him of. But later on, he was softened by
hearing of the birth of a grandson, and he gave orders secretly that
inquiries should be made about the health of the mother, and sent her a